UN Resident Coordinator for Fiji and the Pacific Sanaka Samarasinha says different UN agencies are working on making sure they come up with programs to help those affected by TC Yasa.
Samarasinha says this is why it was important for them to be on the ground so quickly.
He says he visited some of the affected communities in Vanua Levu while accompanying some cabinet ministers and other organisations like Red Cross Fiji that are providing relief supplies and support.
Samarasinha says visiting these communities was a moving experience for him.
Samarasinha says during disasters one of the things they generally tend to do is really get behind the government machinery and ensure that the processes, mechanisms and capacities that are needed to collect, analyze and present data exists.
He says they are happy that from quite an early stage they had people embedded with the National Disaster Management Office and the Commissioner Northern’s Office.
Samarasinha says going forward, they have different parts of the United Nations that have particular areas of responsibility that will help.
He says there are agencies like UNICEF that focus on children and UN Women that can provide psycho-social support to make sure women do not become victims of violence because of a crisis like this.
Samarasinha says they also have the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation that can deal with issues of food security and livelihoods along with UNDP.
Samarasinha says after spending a week in Vanua Levu, he is now back in Suva to have more in-depth discussions with development partners.
He says he may head back to Labasa and also plan a visit to Lau.
